The present invention generally relates to the computer field. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of registering a CIM provider to a CIMOM and corresponding apparatuses.
Common Information Model (CIM) is an industry standard model defined by Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF), which enables administrators or software management programs to control applications and devices on different platforms in the same way. Due to the generic architecture of CIM, it has been widely used in management software which manages various kinds of storage and network devices.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the architecture of management software based on CIM standards in the prior art.
As shown in FIG. 1, management application 110 (also called CIM client) is connected to CIMOMs (CIM Object Manager) 121, 131 and 141, and CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 are connected to devices 120, 130 and 140, respectively, via CIM providers 122, 132 and 142.
Additionally, CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 can have CIM repositories 123, 133 and 143 respectively connected thereto.
Management application 110 sends a request for management information to CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141. Preferably, management application 110 communicates with CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 using the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM). Alternatively, management application 110 communicates with CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 using the HyperMedia Management Protocol (HMMP). Of course, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that any protocol capable of passing object information between management application 110 and CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 can be used.
Each of CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 acts as a server (with respect to management application 110) and can switch roles so as to act on behalf of request of management application 110.
After management application 110 sends a request to CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141, CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 first access their respective CIM repositories 123, 133 and 143 so as to determine whether they can satisfy the request directly or need to switch role from a server to a client and forward the request to CIM providers 122, 132 and 142, respectively.
For example, CIM repositories 123, 133 and 143 have static information stored therein, such as object property values. If what is requested by management application 110 to CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 is static information, CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 can satisfy the request directly without needing to forward the request to CIM providers 122, 132 and 142, respectively. Otherwise, CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 transfer the request of management application 110 to CIM providers 122, 132 and 142, respectively.
Upon receipt of the request from CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141, CIM providers 122, 132 and 142 perform corresponding operation and provide corresponding result to CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141. By way of example, CIM providers 122, 132 and 142 are software drivers supplied by manufacturers of devices 120, 130 and 140.
Note that CIM providers 122, 132 and 142 hosted on the same machine as CIMOMs 121, 131 and 141 need not use DCOM or HMMP, but may instead use a private interprocess communication mechanism appropriate to the operating system.
According to the prior art, a user should manually register a CIM provider to a corresponding CIMOM before using the CIM provider. Where registering a CIM provider to a CIMOM includes providing the CIMOM with Managed Object Format (MOF) file that discloses CIM classes implemented by the CIM provider.
For multiple devices, even though they are of the same type, their CIM providers need to respectively register to a CIMOM. And in the CIMOM there will be multiple CIM classes used for respective CIM providers of the multiple same devices. That is to say, one CIM class is allowed to have only one CIM provider.
According to the prior art, it is impossible to register a CIM provider to a CIMOM without restarting the CIMOM to make the registration valid. Therefore, the management ability of the CIMOM cannot be extended.
Therefore, there is a need for a solution to overcome the defects outlined above.